


A Drop Against The Tide

by Apprendere



Category: Naruto
Genre: Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Mostly Fluff, uzumaki!sakura
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-01-25 09:41:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21354196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apprendere/pseuds/Apprendere
Summary: What if Sakura had an Uzumaki ancestor?She misses the family she's never known. She has always felt like her family should be twice as big, with grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles and nephews and nieces on both sides. When she gets the chance, she tries to fix that, even if it's only one more Uzumaki, a drop against the tide.Tags will be added as chapters are published
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 5
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1: Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> So, I’ve never written a Naruto fanfic before. I didn’t think I was invested enough in this fandom to write for it, but here we are. I had an idea and it wouldn’t leave me alone.  
The basic idea behind this is an Uzumaki Sakura. I think the details of the Uzumaki history will come out in the story but I’m not absolutely positive where. I’ve got a little bit written, but make no promises on an update schedule or anything. I also don’t have an end in mind yet. There's 2 chapters in the first update because #1 is short and I'm impatient even though I know the value of a good buffer.  
The cultural setting is only vaguely Japanese because I would stall out and write nothing if I actually researched enough to get that right. So we’ll call it creative license when my own cultural mores invade. The Naruto world isn’t technically Japan anyway, right? Just heavily based on it.

Sakura is proud of her clans. Both the one whose name she uses, and the one she inherited through her mother. She loves every family member she knows, even if she has trouble liking some of them. That’s what drives her to seek out the boy who transferred into her class this year.

“You’re Uzumaki, right? Uzumaki Naruto?” Sakura shifts and grabs her backpack straps. It’s heavier than usual, with an extra bento, just in case.

He looks up, eyes wide with surprise. “Y-yeah. What do you want?”

“I wanted to sit under the tree. If you don’t mind, this seems to be your spot after all.” She rocks back on her heels before remembering her Mother and the familiar taijutsu warning to always be on balance. She stills and looks up at him through her bangs.

Naruto stares.

When it appears he’s just going to keep staring, Sakura blurts out her name. She pauses. “Uhm, in case you didn’t know.” She rubs her thumbs up and down her backpack straps and glances at her feet.

A few seconds pass before Naruto apparently collects himself. “Yeah” He draws it out, almost like a question. “Your hand is always up.”

Sakura has no idea what he is thinking. Maybe he’s wary. Did I surprise him?

Sakura raises her chin and smiles. “I like reading. I’m usually a bit ahead in the textbook.”

Naruto wrinkles his nose. “The teachers says it all faster anyway.”

“Really?” Sakura grimaces. “I guess I must read fast. But I like being ahead, I can ask if the textbook was confusing.” Sakura sniffs, wondering if this was a good idea. Naruto apparently doesn’t even like to read. But, he is an Uzumaki. Sakura loves all her family and agrees with her mother that there’s no such thing as too much family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do talk to me about the fic, I'd love to hear it!


	2. Chapter 2: Hesitant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit rocky trying to get to know someone who has been burned before. Especially because Sakura is invested in the idea before she does so much as make eye contact.

Family is important, so Sakura continues talking. “I was asking if I could sit here and read?”

A beat passes and Naruto’s face falls. “Right. Okay.” He stands, looking like some string holding him up has been cut. Naruto turns and steps away.

“What? No!” Sakura reaches out. “Why are you leaving?”

Naruto looks back, eyes wary, and he replies slowly. “You said you wanted the spot. You can have it.”

“Oh! No.” Sakura’s bangs flail wildly as she shakes her head. “That’s not what I meant. I don’t want to  _ take _ your spot. I-” She scuffs her toe against the dirt as her words keep tumbling out. “-uh, I mean I was asking to share it? You can keep the swing, I was just going to sit by the trunk.”

Naruto’s wide, surprised eyes confuse her. “I’m sorry, I really wasn’t trying to get rid of you.” Sakura knew Naruto wasn’t popular and she never really saw anyone hang out with him, but this… shock? Naruto expected her to kick him out. This has been his spot since she heard his name and started noticing. Worse, she almost accidentally pushed him out before she noticed. Oh no. His eyes are glistening. Are- are those tears? No, not actually. She seems to have done something that was a little too much for him but she can’t for the life of her think what. Sakura’s not sure what she would do if he actually starts crying.

“Oh.” Naruto’s voice sounds weak.

“Look,” This is  _ not _ what Sakura intended and she doesn’t know how, when, or why it started going wrong. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” She can feel her voice rise and squeak as she talks faster. “I wanted to be able to read in peace and quiet and you’re the only one who ever plays over here so I thought it would be a good place to not get distracted or bothered by Ami-san or anyone else. And, well, you pranked Ami-san the day after she tripped me and my books into a puddle and I know it probably wasn’t on purpose, you obviously didn’t do it for me or anything-” Naruto’s lip is wobbling now and Sakura still has no clue why or how to fix it. “-but, it made me feel better. So then I had to try to figure out how you did it. That made me start noticing pranks on the sensei that they never found who did them, and you have to be smart to get away with that. So I thought maybe-” A single tear escapes and Naruto hurriedly scrubs at his face. Sakura stutters to a halt.

She bites her lip. “I can leave. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

Naruto freezes.

Sakura spins, ready to leave and never speak ever again. He was just going to let her uproot him from  _ his _ spot. She made him cry! It didn’t fit with his behaviour in class.

“Wait!”

Sakura’s muscles lock before she can take the first step. She looks back.

“You can stay. It’s just…” Naruto rubs the last tear from his face. “No one l- no one ever sits with me. I’ll be quiet, so you can read. You won’t even know I’m here. I promise I won’t bother you.”

“But-” You thought I was kicking you out. I don’t want to be mean. “No, I can go. You don’t have to share if you don’t want.” Sakura tries to smile nicely but she feels the edges wobble. She needs to get out before  _ she _ starts crying. This is not how it was supposed to go.

Sakura leaves too quickly to notice whether she’s running away.

She feels her breath start to roughen, and she knows it’s not from exercise. She forces it smooth and even. At the least, she will make it home and safely behind walls. She will.

She does.

Sakura takes off her shoes in the entry and makes it to the kitchen door. She sees her mother, sitting at the table reading a scroll, and drops her backpack as she feels the first hot tear roll down her face.

“Kaa-san.”

Her mom looks up at the sound, alarm apparent.

“Oh, Sakura” The chair makes a hideous noise as her mother rushes over to crouch in front of her.

Cool hands wipe at the tears falling down her face. Sakura knows that if she doesn’t stop her crying she’ll get all snotty and mess up her shirt and that makes her more upset.

“What is it? What happened?”

Sakura blinks and focuses on her mother’s face. Kaa-san’s eyes are kind, and gentle right now, a wary fire waiting for any word or action that can fix whyever Sakura is crying.

Her breath hitches. She rushes the words out to choke a sob before it starts. “It was an accident, but I was mean.” A sob escapes. “I was trying to sit and read by him like you said should work.”

She is pulled into a hug. Her eyes screw shut as Kaa-san scoops her up and starts swaying, gently rocking side to side.


	3. Chapter 3: A Lunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto takes the next step in the 'get to know you' game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short, but it felt like the right place for a break in the story telling??? And I don't have the rest of the section until the next good break edited and I'm going to try to update regularly. I expect the schedule to fall apart during the winter holidays when the family circus is occurring because I will be spending time with people I don't get to see very often.
> 
> I honestly can't tell if Naruto is in character or out of character in this whole beginning section, or if I'm exaggerating the trust issues Naruto has to have had at some point given the whole kicked out of the orphanage thing, or whether Naruto's demeanor even reads as plausible. I'm enjoying writing this too much to get stuck in revision hell by double checking the characterization. I am perfectly willing to incorporate tips or feedback as I go forward though.
> 
> Oh well, enjoy!

She sees him, but won’t look directly at him in class the next day.

Sakura wants to figure out a way to get to know him, but she’s going to do it right this time. Neither one of them is going to cry during or after, and Naruto is going to be her brother. Or at least as good as a brother. She doesn’t actually know how they are related, only that they are both Uzumaki, even if only one of them bears the name. It’ll happen eventually. She doesn’t want to scare him again by asking too soon.

Sakura is still thinking, trying to figure out how to go about things, when the lunch bell rings. She’s just rummaging for her bento when she hears childishly light footsteps approaching. She turns and sees Naruto. One arm is tucked behind his back, and Naruto is scuffing a toe against the ground he’s looking at.

“Hi.”

Sakura freezes as she thinks furiously.

Naruto looks up, eyes wary and... hopeful?

“Ah,” Sakura hesitates. She can clearly see Naruto’s nerves wavering, lip now thoroughly bitten, and waiting for her to respond. She rushes for words, anything, to try to get that wet kitten look off him. “Hi. I’m sorry.” 

She sees Naruto go blank with confusion.

“About yesterday. I wasn’t trying to be mean” Sakura is not prepared for this at all.

Naruto slowly gathers pieces together. “That’s… okay. I figured that out.”

They sink back into silence.

Sakura breaks. “Food? Uh, do you want to eat together?”

“Oh, uh. I…” Naruto looks very sheepish. “I, um, forgot. My lunch. I forgot my lunch today. I could sit with you?” Naruto trails off for a bit, and just when Sakura’s taking a breath to reply, he continues. “If you still want to I mean. I could just go back to my seat and stop bothering y-”

“No!” Sakura isn’t going to let him complete that thought. “Stay.” Sakura is struck with a burst of inspiration. “Kaa-san always makes me a giant bento. I bet she’d be really happy if you’d help me finish it.”

“I- no. I- I’m fine, you don’t have to.”

“Please? There’s honestly way too much for just me.”

Sakura feels rather accomplished when Naruto smiles, small and true. “Well … Okay.”

Sakura shovels half the food into the lid and slides it over to Naruto. They muddle through eating, awkward and silent. She can’t help but notice how quickly each piece of food he picks up disappears. She eats her last bite. She delays by picking up each individual grain of rice clinging to the walls of the box. Finally, there is no distraction left. Oh dear. Now she has to think of something to say.

“Kaa-san’s bento’s are good.”

“Oh, uh, yeah.”

Naruto is obviously feeling too awkward to take his turn in the conversation, so Sakura forces herself to take the initiative. “I haven’t finished tomorrow’s homework, have you?” She barely pauses before steamrolling over the start of Naruto’s answer. “Because if you haven’t, you could come over to my house tonight and we could work on it together.” She turns her lightest puppy-eyes on Naruto. “I don’t know what we’re having for dinner, but I know you’re welcome to stay for it.”

Naruto’s eyes grow round. “No, no, I totally finished that.” He laughs but it sounds hollow to Sakura. “Math right, I definitely did that already.”

Sakura is about to ask what’s wrong when Naruto jumps up and looks at the clock.

“Well. Lunch is over, I gotta go sit down.” And Naruto is gone before the bell rings or the teacher even looks up from his papers.

All she did was invite him to study. She studied with Ino often. What spooked him? Maybe it's because of whatever Kaa-san was concerned about. There had to be a reason she wouldn't tell Sakura what exactly it was. 

When Sakura ran home and babbled about this Uzumaki boy she'd never heard of, why didn't Kaa-san ever tell her they had relatives on that side of the family in Konoha, her mother had put off an explanation until the noisiest part of their day. Kaa-san then told her that Sakura should be old enough to understand, and ninja training should help her understand even more. Kaa-san hurried through an explanation of why Sakura had never met anyone with the Uzumaki name. Kaa-san also said that Naruto was an orphan and as far as the public records go, he had no parents. Kaa-san trusted her to connect the two pieces of information. 

Kaa-san had said to be patient, but Sakura was! Naruto would catch up eventually and they would be friends and clanmates. Only not in name because Kaa-san married into the Harunos.

She decides she’ll be patient, she’ll go even more gently. She raises to contemplate the idea of accidentally driving off one of her apparent very few remaining Uzumaki relatives.

She still has trouble imagining what it would be like not knowing Kaa-san and Tou-san, much less the rest of her family. If she wants Naruto included in that family she apparently needs to be much more patient, and maybe figure out why she seems to scare him. She’ll try just sitting next to him and reading after school until Kaa-san picks her up. Hopefully she can pick up since clues and make him more comfortable. 

At least she didn’t make him cry today.

She packs away the empty bento box and frowns. Has she ever seen Naruto’s bento?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any thoughts or feedback? I promise I'll listen, but not that I'll change.
> 
> That sounds really flippant, but I mostly mean that I'm the sort that's happy to argue back and forth for fun, but if pressed I'll go with the story choices that keep me writing. I think we (authors and readers) are probably all happier with more fic than less.


	4. Chapter 4: Invited In

Sitting and reading by him goes fine, but he goes dead silent and eerily still when she calls her Kaa-san over. She gives him a, perhaps excessively, cheerful smile and goodbye. Naruto’s return wave and smile are small and quiet. Sakura sees Naruto’s eyes flickering rapidly between her and Kaa-san. Her mother shoots her a concerned glance, then looks back at Naruto. Sakura goes over to hold her mother’s hand. Kaa-san’s arm swings a little, twisting Sakura back around to fully face Naruto.

“Um” Sakura tries not to sound like she’s scrambling for a topic. “Are you... sure... you don’t want to come over and study? Since you’ve already done tomorrow’s assignment we could practice hand seals? They’re a lot easier to do with a real person to watch instead of a mirror.”

She may have overfilled the awkward silence a little.

Naruto looks to her Kaa-san. His jaw goes loose and his eyes widen at the nod he receives.

Sakura already knows she can’t tell Naruto how sweet and sincere he looks as he collects himself. It might scare him away right now. At least Naruto looks a bit happier, even if he still keeps back instead of coming closer to talk or give her a hug goodbye.

“Ah…” Naruto hesitates.

“It’s no trouble at all, I assure you. Sakura already invited you, unless you have another commitment?” Sakura’s mother smiles, small and neutral. It’s her ‘entertaining business partners’ smile, keeping her real thoughts and emotions off her face.

Sakura’s a little confused about her Kaa-san’s smile even as she looks hopefully at Naruto. She smiles wide and genuine, and tries not to wring her hands or clutch at her dress for comfort.

“O-kay?” The word scrapes out with the biggest question mark Sakura’s heard.

“Wonderful.” Her mother’s smile deepens.

Sakura wonders if they should tell Naruto tonight. They’re family after all, Naruto would  _ have _ to be happy to hear that. She’s never seen anyone come to pick him up after school so he must need a family... right? 

Her mother still insists on being unable to tell Sakura how they’re related beyond being Uzumaki, but Sakura has a feeling her mother knows more. That sort of discretion is normal, but usually more for business topics than family. Oh well. Sakura will have to ask first. Kaa-san was very clear on how dangerous it could be to be an Uzumaki.

Sakura blinks her focus back to Naruto. He looks, expectant, waiting for something.

“Well?” Kaa-san turns to her. “Why don’t you show Naruto-kun the way to our home Sakura?”

Sakura smiles brightly, and holds her hand out for Naruto. “Come with me?”

It takes a moment, in which, Naruto looks unsure and glances between her and Kaa-san many times.

“Okay.”

They walk quickly and Sakura ignores the odd looks they get, tries to distract Naruto with describing her favorite food that Kaa-san makes. It doesn’t work as well as she would like. As they get into the nice neighborhood Sakura lives in, Naruto goes quiet and moves smaller, as if he’s trying to take up less space.

Sakura nearly walks past her own house as she tries not to look like she’s watching Naruto’s face. A gentle hand on her shoulder from Kaa-san redirects to their door, and she tugs Naruto along.

She lets her babble fade as they enter the house. As they take off their shoes, she speaks quietly. “Naruto. If you ever want to do homework together or practice handseals, or taijutsu, or anything, you can come find me. Kaa-san and Tou-san would help with homework too if you want.”

Naruto looks up, still oddly contained after the walk and the looks. The moment stretches. Sakura can’t quite stand to regret saying it even as she sinks deeper into embarrassment. Naruto never asked for help, he’s probably fine on his own, he doesn't need me. I just barely started talking to him and he always goes all weird when I offer things or try to be too friendly.

Naruto swallows and looks like he’s about to talk when they’re called in to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seem to be averaging between 600-700 words per chapter and it feels short.


	5. Chapter 5: Got to get to work sometime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They actually get to the studying portion of the invitation to study and have dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will be getting more irregular I think because I have less and less prewritten segments and snippets that I can ping off of as I go.  
Comments do remind me to work on things more consistently though. Also, like every other writer, I just really love when people like my stuff and leave a note or a kudos to tell me that.

There are two plates and two glasses. A milk jug sitting on the table next to the plates with cookies and fruit.

“Thank you Kaa-san!” Sakura pours her cup of milk and hands it over to Naruto. “Here! Your turn.” She waits for Naruto to finish pouring and pick up his plate to get him to follow her to the stairs.

“This is my room.” Sakura sets down her plate and glass on the floor to sit with Naruto.

“Okay.”

Naruto is still much quieter and smaller than she likes. It reminds her of when he thought she was trying to take over his swing. She contemplates whether she can say anything helpful right now or if just eating and moving on to studying would be better. Eating gives an excuse not to talk after all. But, she wants Naruto to be comfortable. They’re family whether he knows it or not yet. He should feel safe and comfortable in family homes.

Naruto is delicately nibbling a cookie, staring at it while chewing, avoiding eye contact.

Sakura stuffs a whole slice of fruit in her mouth.

Naruto seems to take her behavior as some kind of permission because he finally takes a full bite.

"So." She says when her mouth is empty again. "Homework."

"Yeah."

Sakura drags out her books and scrolls and pencils and starts arranging them to her satisfaction. "You can use my textbooks while we're here if you don't have yours. I've got the current chapters and homework bookmarked in red and next week's work in orange." Sakura continues explaining her organizational system.

Naruto waits for her to finish talking, but seems a little glazed over. “So, all that makes you good at school?”

“Yeah! It makes me get everything done in time.”

Sakura pushes the textbook with the question list between them so Naruto can see it too. She settles in to get her work done.

The house begins to smell delicious, rice and chicken and onion and spices all cooking and permeating the house. It distracts them for a few minutes when Sakura notices Naruto's stopped working in favor of sniffing at the air. His paper appears to be covered in doodled stick figures doing taijutsu and ninjutsu.

“Naruto.” She says in her best imitation of Kaa-san’s scolding voice. “Were you doing any of the homework?”

Naruto startles out of his food-based reverie. “Uh.”

“How much do you have left to do? Dinner is probably really soon.” She leans out over her own work to check.

“Maybe a lot of it?” Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

“How much  _ have _ you done?” Sakura twists, trying to see the paper right side up.

“The…” Naruto’s voice shrinks, sounding like it did when she accidentally almost kicked him off the swing. “The first one… Part of it at least.”

Sakura starts explaining how the reason the Hokages are so strong and cool is because they studied. Well, most of them. Hashirama was apparently just that much of a powerhouse, but the other three were well known for their mastery of chakra, both in application and theory. Can’t develop a jutsu if you don’t understand what the chakra is doing on some level. It seems to be going okay, maybe even sinking in, until Sakura catches the sound of the front door opening downstairs. She perks up. It’s still afternoon, Tou-san’s meetings must have been faster than expected. Hopefully that’s because they went well.

“Sakura?” Naruto says.

Sakura notices she stopped mid-sentence and still has her mouth open. She closes it and grins.

“Tou-san is home, I’m going to go say hi. I’ll be right back.” She says and dashes out of the room.

“Oh...kay?” Sakura hears as she starts down the stairs. There’s something funny about how it sounds, but Tou-san is here! She gets to share her new friend with him. She knows Kaa-san talked to him about Naruto, and wishes it were at all possible for them to adopt him and have him be her brother. Unfortunately, Kaa-san already said that was impossible even though explaining why was apparently forbidden.

She runs into Tou-san for a hug, eager to talk,and eager to introduce him to Naruto. Tou-san probably would have married into the Uzumaki if it hadn’t been dangerous for Kaa-san to keep the name.

“How was your day?” She bubbles from inside a warm and tight hug.

“Good, but the business went half and half. One meeting went better than expected, but the other was to tell me they were changing to a different supplier.”

Sakura frowns, though there’s nothing she can do about it.

“And how was your day blossom?” Tou-san says while setting her down.

She lights back up, squeezing his hand and hopping in place.

“I’ve got a new friend over to study!”

“Oh? Is this the new friend I’ve heard you talking about?”

“Yeah! Uzumaki Naruto.”

“Well, where is this kid I’ve heard you so excited about?”

“He’s still upstairs we were stu-” Sakura spots Naruto’s blond mop and blue eyes peeking around the corner of the stairs. “Studying in my room.” She finishes quickly.

Sakura ducks around her father and says “Naruto, come meet my Tou-san!”


	6. Goodnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was pretty sure that I posted this after finishing writing it mid December and was feeling guilty about procrastinating writing the next chapter after this...
> 
> Anyway, here it is

“Ah, you must be Sakura’s new friend.” Tou-san nods to Naruto.

Naruto nods a yes.

“Nice to meet you, I hope Sakura’s not trying to make you memorize the whole textbook yet.”

“Tou-san!” Sakura covers her cheeks to hide any possible flush. “That was only one year.”

“And I remember it well. Your cousins kept trying to quiz you and catch you out, but you didn’t get tripped up even when they asked you to recite a page of the glossary.” Tou-san pats her on the shoulder. If she wasn’t so embarrassed, Sakura would have a reply, she’s sure.

Instead, Sakura sniffs and flounces up the stairs. “We’ll be down for dinner.” And pushes Naruto around the corner and back to her room.

Naruto seems a bit… stilted and awkward to Sakura as she tries to get them back on track for however long is left until dinnertime.

Eventually, she is in fact saved from figuring out how to smooth out the lumps in the way of normal social interaction by her Kaa-san’s voice calling them down to dinner.

At the table, Naruto continues to be quiet. He also, Sakura gains certainty over the course of the meal, a delicious curry, is trying to copy both Kaa-san and Tou-san’s manners. He’s waiting to drink until they do, and rushing to catch up if he notices partway through. He seems to be having trouble with how to eat the vegetables mixed in though. Kaa-san eats all the vegetables first, and leaves the chicken for last, while Tou-san just eats it all together. Naruto even copies the way Sakura sets down her chopsticks when she’s done. He does it a bit too precisely, and it cements the fact he was copying.

It takes Sakura half of dinner to connect that careful mirroring to the fact that Naruto’s an orphan. There is no Kaa-san or Tou-san to have taught those things. Naruto definitely isn't the sort to pick up manners in school either. It pulls at something in her that she’s not sure what to do with or how she feels about it.

They study another hour after dinner, very quiet, and Naruto goes even quieter, fading back whenever her parents check on them. He only speaks when answering a direct question. Sakura feels a bit sad about how she’s getting used to his “uncomfortable around people” reactions.

When they say goodnight, Tou-san and Kaa-san hang back. Sakura thinks it’s because they noticed how awkward Naruto was around them too.

“Are you sure you’re alright walking home alone? You stayed later than we expected studying with Sakura.”

“I'll be fine. Sorry Haruno-san” Naruto looks actually chagrined like when it’s a reprimand about something Naruto actually cares about, like taijutsu or throwing technique.

Sakura doesn't like how that pleasantry landed with Naruto, so she speaks up. Reminding him of… of something concrete and good. That should work. “We got a lot done though. Definitely more than before dinner, we must have been too hungry to focus well.” Or, Sakura thinks, it was because they talked to each other instead of actually writing down any answers. Before Tou-san got home actually. That's when Naruto got so subdued.

Her mother lays a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She wishes there was something she could say that would actually fix it instead of just trying to infect Naruto with better feelings. It doesn't seem to work anyway.

Naruto gives a small wave and goodbye. 

"Goodnight Naruto!"

"Be safe." Her father adds.

Her mother waits a long moment after Naruto has left to give her a slight squeeze.

"I think we should talk a bit more about your friend."


	7. Chapter 7: Friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t intend to leave this hanging on the start of a tense conversation for so long. It has been surprisingly hard to get things done while I have this much time on my hands. It's getting posted because it'll be another month or 2 if I try to edit it before posting, so , you know, there might be typos etc.  
In other news, I just don’t care enough to look up the names of Sakura’s bullies so I’m going with what I halfway remember from reading fanfic.

They go to the table and Tou-san brings her a cup of water to fiddle with as she sits. 

Kaa-san starts "Did you notice your friend acting different around Tou-san and I?"

Sakura rolls the cup between her palms. "He's… nervous around you." She frowns. "It's like how he is around some of the teachers. The ones who just say what he's done wrong after telling everyone else how to get better." She tips her head down, hiding behind her bangs. 

"I think you should know that we want what is best for you and will help whenever you ask, but who you make friends or enemies with is your choice. We can tell you about how real friends help each other even in bad times, but your friends are yours." Kaa-san leans into Tou-san's side. "Some other people's parents might tell then to stop being friends with…"

"Most recently I’ve heard ‘demon’ and ‘trash’." her dad’s lip curls in sneering sarcasm.

"And they don't remember that people should be judged on their choices instead of their birth." Kaa-san finishes

"Your friend was born on the day of the Kyuubi attack and…" Tou-san pauses, grasping for words. He tries again. "You've heard about the attack, how many people died or got injured and homes were damaged or destroyed." He sighs. "Your friend was born that day and survived and a lot of people didn't." He stops again.

"Are…" She frowns. "Are you saying people blame Naruto for the attack?"

"Eh…" her father tips his heads and waggles his hand side to side and looks to Kaa-san. 

"Adults treat him a certain way for certain reasons, and whether they're right or wrong, thrower kids are told, or learn, to treat him that way too."

Her father looks sad as he adds "Your friend obviously expects the same from us, but you know us and we know you and we trust you to do what's right, just like always." He steps around and hugs her.

"The point is that Naruto might be comfortable if you spend more of your time together away from us. It'll get better over time, don't worry."

Kaa-san nods sharply. "Alright, we've given you enough to think about tonight. It's time for bed." Kaa-San swoops in for a kiss and ruffles her hair.

The next day Sakura takes leftover curry for lunch, with an extra serving for Naruto.

Things go on as things do, and Sakura brings food as often as she thinks Naruto will accept it, and eats and reads in the shade of his tree more often.

Some days Naruto seems to vanish and Sakura's starting to notice a pattern where there's a new story about some big prank when he's gone missing for several in a row. Those days Sakura still spends reading alone. Mostly. [Ami] and her posse seem to object to everywhere she chooses to read. Eventually, Ino catches [the bullies] picking on her. If asked, Sakura will insist that Ino arrived on the scene like some secret tiny ANBU, suddenly appearing behind the bullies and bulldozing through them pretending like Sakura might have forgotten an invitation to study at the Yamanaka clan compound that they should walk to together after school. Sakura is in a minor state of awe over how blithely Ino dismisses [Ami] as a loner who'll never last a day on a Konoha team. After that, Ino tells her there's actually a training session today and all that bluster was just an effective way to shut down the bullies by railroading Sakura onto a different social script. But… would she like to train or eat together a different day? Sakura would love to, and even manages to say so.

Naruto is still conspicuously absent the next morning. Sakura would bet that this prank will either be a whopper or be mentioned precisely never.

Ino's smile is blinding when Sakura asks to sit by her at lunch the next day. They don’t even talk about much, Ino asks why she’s such a bookworm and Sakura manages to say that she just likes reading. It does help her to keep up with all the clan kids too, what with being from a civilian family and all. The net result of their conversation is an invitation to spar and practice throwing kunai and shuriken ... and a sure blush when she thinks of Ino barging in to help. Naruto attempts to sneak back into class at the end of lunch and gives her a funny look after spotting her next to Ino.

Naruto looks bothered, even though he’s the one who’s been vanishing; so after school she tries to wander casually over to him on his swing under the tree after school ends.

"Hey.” She drops her backpack at the base of the tree

“Hi.” Naruto watches her and doesn’t volunteer anything more.

Sakura busies herself digging through her backpack, turned so Naruto can’t see her face. What’s wrong? Did something happen to him? Is he worried about Sakura? Is something wrong or is she overthinking things? What’s changed? She ate with Ino today-

“You ate with Ino?”

Well, apparently her guess was right. “I know you’re busy sometimes doing pranks or whatever, and when you’re gone [Ami] and her pack of friends find me sometimes. Ino shut them down, and… then asked if I wanted to eat or train together.”

“Huh.” She hears him kick off and the shadows shift as the branches sway with the swing.

“And then you weren’t here at lunch, or at least not at the start, and I sat with Ino.” Sakura gives up shuffling the contents of her backpack and turns to sit facing Naruto.

Naruto is still now, letting the swing carry on in its small arc.

“The Yamanaka are specialists in psychology, and so some of them specialize in infiltration and information gathering, but I read that quite a few work in the village as administrators and as a face for the village to civilian villages and towns that aren’t used to shinobi.” None of this information is helping. She doesn't actually know why her eating with Ino caused this reaction.

“Sakura?"

He looks… confused, or lost maybe.

"We're-" A pause, and then more forcefully "Are we friends?"

Sakura's mind empties briefly before refilling with a vengeance.

She really hopes so, that's what she wants, but what if Naruto actually doesn't care or is just letting her railroad him into things like how she nearly kicked him out of his spot the first time she tried to talk to him.

"Arent-" she clears her suddenly dry throat "Aren't we?"

Naruto starts to smile and stumbles over the words but says "I just thought, if you're friends with Ino now maybe you wanted to just be her friend instead. I mean, I'm just me but Ino's from a clan and-."

"Naruto…" Sakura wishes her mom was here to give her a hug. She would know what to say or how to say it right. Nothing for it but honesty. "I really want to be friends"

"Sakura-" Naruto's eyes are shining.

Sakura gives up and lunges forward to hug him. "Just because I made another friend doesn't mean I don't want to be yours." She remembers their first conversation and quickly adds "As long as you want to of course."

Naruto squeezes her tighter. "Of course." He echoes, laughing around the edges of it. 

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I’m happy to talk about my fic and hear what all you readers think. Discuss theories or possible future directions. Especially possible future directions for parts of the story I don’t already have an idea for.


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